Can-opener



(ModeL) 0. W. AGKER.

CAN OPENER.

No. 333,190. Patented Dec. 29, 1885.

UNITED STATES PATENT Fricn.

CHARLES W. AOKER, OF WATERTOWN, NEW YORK.

CAN-OPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 333,190, dated December29, 1885.

Application filed April 15, 1885. Serial No. 162,342. (MocleL) To allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. AoKER, of Watertown, county of Jefferson,and State of New ;York, have invented a new and useful Improvement inCan-Openers, which im provement is fully set forth in the followingspecification.

This invention has reference to a machine or device for opening tin canscontaining fruit, vegetables, and other preserved articles of food; andits object is to provide an efficient, expeditious, and durable devicefor the purpose.

The invention is applicable mainly to canopeners for use in hotels,restaurants, and other large establishments where rapidity and certaintyof action are important considerations; butit is also applicable,whollyor in part,

to can-openers designed for ordinary family bed plate, upon which thecan to be opened isplaced, a frame resting upon the base, a knifesupported at a suitable distanoeabove the plate on a circular rotatingcarrier, and a clutch or clamp for steadying the can while beingoperated upon. The frame has at the top a ring sufficiently large indiameter to permit a can to be placed within it, and this ring forms theway or track for the rotating knife-carrier. Thelatter may also be aring fitting in the stationary ring and resting on a flange or rimthereof. It may be held upon its seat (while permitted to rotate freelythereon) by lugs or otherwise. The knife or blade acts upon the sideinstead of upon the top of the can, as customary heretofore, therebycompletely removing the top of the can, leaving no projecting rim tointerfere with emptying its contents. The knife is adjustablehorizontally-4. 6., in line with its cutting edge. The clamp or clutchis or may be a pivoted arm provided with a knob or handle, and adaptedto bear upon the top of the can. It is preferably armed with one or morepoints or teeth, so as to take fipm hold of the can. Adjusting means areprovided to adapt the device to cans of different sizes.

The invention will be better understood 50 from the followingdescription, in connection with the accompanying drawings,whichillustrate what is believed to be the best manner of carrying theinvention into effect.

Figure l is a perspective view of one form of apparatus constructed inaccordance with the invention and illustrating its operation; Fig. 2, acentral vertical section of the same; Fig. 3, a partial side viewshowing one'mode of adjusting the height of the cutting-blade, and Fig.4 a cross-section on line 00 w of Fig. 3.

A is the base, which may be of wood. To I it are secured, by screws orbolts, the stand ards B B, which support at the top the casting 0, inthe form of a ring. The knife-car rier D, also in the form of a ring,fits within the ring 0, and rests upon a circular rim or flange, c,projecting around the inner face thereof.

Small lugs d, secured by screws to the under side of ring D, hold thelatter in place. These lugs do not, however, bind the flange or rim 0,but permit the carrier D to turn easily upon said flange or rim. Thelatter may be cut away at some point in its circumference, as at m, tothe length of lug d, so as to permit the carrier D to be lifted off.

The carrier D is cast with an arm or projection, E, which forms thesupport and guide for the knife blade or cutter F. Said support E hasears 6, which keep the knife from sidewise movement. The knife or cutterF consists of a flat steel bar, with the cutting-edges ground on thesides about one end thereof and in line with the length of the bar. Itis adjustablyheld on its support E by asetscrew, G, passing through aslot, f, in the bar. The knife can thus be moved forward or backward forcans of smaller or larger diameter.

It will be seen that the knife is so supported that its cuttingedges arein a horizontal plane. 90 It will therefore act upon the side instead ofupon the top of the can. As fast as the edge is worn away it can berenewed by grinding, the said edge being in line with the length of thebar. a

In the base A is a disk, H, having a central hub, h. The base A is cutto receive this disk H, which serves as an adjusting-block. Forlarge-sized cans it is removed entirely, the can resting upon the flangea of the base 100 A. For a smaller-sized can, the block is inserted, asshown in Fig. 1, so that its upper surface will be flush with that ofbase A, and for a still smaller size it is inserted, as shown in Fig. 2,with the hub h uppermost. This construction provides for the threeprincipal sizes of cans used in the trade. It is obvious that adjustingblocks or disks of different sizes to suit all kinds of cans can beprovided, and that the base or support on which the can rests can beadjusted in various ways.

For the purpose of holding the can steady during the cutting operation,a clamp, K, is provided. This is shown as an arm pivoted at k to theback of the casting 0. It is provided on the under side with spikes orpoints 9, for taking hold of the top of the can, and on top with a knobor handle, i. As shown, there are three points, 9; but any greater orless number may be used.

In operation the adj listing-block H is properly disposed to suit thesize of the can L. The latter is then placed thereon so as to occupy thecenter of the space inclosed by the rings D. The clamp K is forced down,its points entering the top of the can and holding it firmly. The bladeFis pushed forward until its point penetrates the side of can L. It isthen clamped in position by set-screw Q The carrier D and the cutter orblade are then turned about ring 0, removing the top of thecan, the rearend of the bar F serving as a handle. These operations can be veryquickly performed.

Instead of adjusting the base upon which the can rests, as by the blockH, the height of the blade can be regulated in various ways. Oneconvenient way is by making the height of the standards adjustable, asshown in Figs. 3 and 4. The standard is composed of two parts, at a, onehaving a tongue, 0, which works in a groove in the opposite part, sothat the parts may slide one upon the other. A pin, 12, carried by partit passes through aslot, q, (indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 3,) in partn, and a clamping-cam, r, is pivoted to the end of said pin. WVhen thecam is dropped down in the position showninFig. 4, the movable part maybe moved up or down, and the knife thus brought to the proper height.The cam is then lifted to the position shown in Fig. 3, clamping theparts a it together. Of course any equivalent clamping device-such as ascrew and thumb-nut-could be used instead of the pin 1) and cam r.

The adjusting-block H and the adjustable standards may both be used inthe same machine, the former device being used for ordinary cans, andthe latter being brought into use where greater nicety of adjustment isdesired.

It is obvious that the invention is not confined to the details ofconstruction described and shown, which are given only in explanation ofwhat is regarded as the best mode of applying the principle of theinvention, but

2. The combination, in a can-opener, with the movable carrier and itssupport, of the horizontally-disposed knife consisting of a long flatbar having the cutting edge or edges formed on the side or sides thereofand being adjustable in line with its length, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination of the frame with the carrier-support in the form ofa ring, the rotatory carrier resting thereon,and also in the form of aring, and the knife or blade supported by said carrier, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination of the stationary ring with the rotatory ring turningthereon, and the knife or blade carried by said rotatory ring andarranged radially with respect thereto, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the stationary ring with the rotatory ring and theknife carried thereby, theknife beinghorizontally disposed andadjustable toward and away from the center of said rings,substantiallyas described.

6. The combination, in a can-opening device, of the base with thestationary ring, the rotatory ring, the knife carried thereby, and theclamping-arm, substantially as described.

7. The combination of the frame, the rotatory knife-carrier in the formof a ring supported at the top of said frame,and the clamp in the formof a pivoted arm having one or more points or spikes in its free end andadapted to hold the can within said ring during the operation of theknife, substantially as described.

8. The combination of the frame, the rotatory carrier supportedthereon,and the knife comprising a long bar having the cuttingedgesformed on one end, the other end constituting a handle by which saidcarrier can be rotated, substantially as described.

9. The combination, with the frame and the movable knife or cutter, ofthe reversible adjusting-block, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

10. The combination of the stationary and rotatory rings and the knifecarried by the latter, the height of said rings being adjustable,substantially as described.

11. A can -opener comprising the following elements in combination: aframe, a stationary ring forming the top of said frame, a rotatory ringseated upon the stationary ring, said rings being sufficiently large indispecification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. I

CHARLES W. AOKER.

Witnesses:

G. J. PORTER, D. L. CORNWELL.

